Submarine-fender.



A. HOFFMAN.

SUBMARINE-FENDER. APPLICATION mio DEc.5,1911.

1,257,102, Patented 11111931918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I l I l 5 vwewboz 19001( F HOFF/W19 A. HOFFMAN.

SUBMARINE FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.5' ISH.

9257,02. Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I; 'M' WI lill* u1 Q [Wl f@ Il' um fiom F Hopf-MAN @Wm mm @ad A.HOFFMAN.

SUBMARINE' FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-5. 1917.

1,257,002. l Patented Feb.19,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ff '1 l IWW cg nue/nto@ /lOlF HOFFMAN ceiving elements of partshereinafter the accompanying drawings, forming a ma- ADOLF HOFFMAN, OFLACKAWANNA, NEW YORK.

SUBlVIABNE-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. t9, i.

Application flied Beceniber 5, 1917. Serial No. 205,481.

vision of means whereby a torpedo directed a against the hull of avessel may be seizedand held so to avoid injury being den@ to the ship.

A further object is to provide torpedo rearranged aloi'igside the shipslhull, made of flexible, pliable material so as to avoid detonating atorpedo coming in contact, preventing explosion of the same.

'lhese and other like objects are attained by the novel construction andcombination described and shown in tcrial part of this specification,and in whichl Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional typeof ship showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental horizontal sectional view taken online- 3-3 of Fig. l. v i

Fig. d is a fragmental side view showing a modified form of plateconstruction and receiving elements.

l? 5 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fig. il.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figi T is a side elevational view showing a modified arrangement ofcontact plate.

Fig. S is a top plan view of the same, shownin an extended position,partsbeing broken away in order to show the construction.

Fig. 9 is a similar top plan view of the same, the plate being in aclosed or folded position.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 10--10 of Fiff. 7,and

Figll is a similar vertical sectional view taken on line ll-ll of FiO. 7

'In the drawings, the ship, indicated by the numeral 10, is of anordinary type of construction and has rigidly engaged to its hull twohorizontal rows of laterally extending, horizontalk bars lil, havingnuts 15, rigidly holding plates 16, through which :ire formed aplurality of uniformly spaced circular openings i7, in which are plugshaving cylindrical bushings 18, the same being Hush or level with theinner sides of the plates.

Extending enlarged cylindrical heads 20, are formed with the bushings,the shoulders 19 resting upon the opposite outer sides'of the plates,while conical openings 2l, suited to receive the front end of a torpedoextend through the plugs, which are made of rubber or other elastic,pliable material and are arranged so that their peripheral edges arejuxtaposed, forming a plurality of inclined surfaces receptive of theend of a torpedo which may enter and extend through the openings 22, tothe inner side of the plates. ris these several plugs are circular intheir cross-section, at the triangle formed between any group of threeplugs, raised triangular posts 2d, are set in the plate, the side andend angles of the posts beingfshaped in conformity with the beveledinterior of the plugs, so as to present a substantially unbroken,continuous surface adapted to receive and divert the point of anincoming torpedo into any of the several openings.

ln the modification shown in Figs. at and 5, the plugs are formed withlike bushings 17, fitted to the circular openings formed inl the plate,while the heads 30, are rectangular ,and suited toclosely Contact onewith the other.

The interior beveled surfaces are so arranged4 as to` presentsubstantially no tlat space against which the point of a torpedo mightstrike.

rlhese plugs are also made of relatively soft, pliable material intowhich the points of a torpedo may enter without damage to the vessel orto the torpedo, which may be recovered when its propulsive force isexpended, and it will be evident from the foregoing that as the platescontaining the plugs extend from a line slightly above the water levelto a line below the keel, that any torpedo aimed at the vessel along theside will loe received and retained, thereby preventing damage to thevessels hull.

in the modified construction shown in Figs. Z to l1 inclusive, aplurality of brackets 35 are secured tothe hull 10 of the ship, otherbrackets 36 being arranged at the ends. Extending from the brackets 36are outsecuredv standing projections 37, corresponding to A'projections38 from the brackets 35, which have attached to them arms 40, byV meansof pivot screws' 4l, similar screws 42 con-V necting the arms 43 with'the brackets 36.v The arms 40 areY joinedby pivots 44 to 'studs Y 45,rigidly secured to the plate v48', similar in all respects to Vthe plate16, except that the plate 48 may be attached at vulnerable partsofthefship rather VY than extend over Y AtheY entireY side.V

5 Iiiorder 'thatthe plate 48 may be brought" closely adjacent to thehull Vofthe vessel when desired, hand screws 49, are used to Y connectthe end-arms 43fwith thefplate,the Vsame beingjnormally engagedwithprojectionsv 50 at oneV end, and withthe innern most opening in a'bracket 52V at thev other end, .inV such manner that tliejarm may bethe` arrangement of pliable bushings remain moved from one opening to.cated best in lIfigs.l 7 and 8.V

At the same time the otherY arm may be engagedin a post. 53, Vset in theplate 48, thereby holding the plate closely` adjacent to the side ofthe' vessel, it being understood that another as indiarranged in tworows respectively near thef y-top and bottom of said hull, a

plate rigidlyj said arms, said plate of Vuniformly spaced securedV atthe ends of containing a plurality openings, pliable plugs secured insaid openbases of saidl ings, *the outer Vsurfaces of said plug beingclosely'adjacent one to another, and a conical opening formed in each ofsaid plugs', the

openings Ybeing outward.

' 2. Ink a submarine fender, the combination with a plurality .ofrigidarms arranged in two rows at the top and bottom ofthe ships hull, saidarms extending horizontally outward upon either'side thereof, and rigidplates engaged at the outer ends of `said arms, of aplurality of uniformopen ings formed Vthrough said. plates, pliable 'bushings secured inthementioned openings,

enlarged heads formed with saidA bushings,

the periphery of said heads ,being closely'adi jacent` to one another,Vconicalv openings exopenings being outward, and means affixed in saidplates adapted to: direct articles into saidV openings.

V3. In a submarine fender, tliecombination :with aplurality'ofarmsrigidly attached to ing arranged so as to be inintimate. contact,

f tending entirely through vsaid VAheads and bushings, the flarger' endof saidfconical and tapering openings .formed through saidY Y bushings,vthe largerends' of saidopenings beino' disnosedoutwardland so formed as't0 Present relatively sharp lines; ai their junctions. Y f v Y Y .4 Y

' 4. In'azsub'marine fender, the combination with a plurality ofarmspivotally attached vto the hulljof a vessel, extendingloutward'therefrom, and a rigid plate secured at the ends of said arms, ofa'pairof arms at the seAV ends of said plates, said arms pivotally con- Ynected between said plateand the hull ofthe ship, and means by whichsaidv arms may bev attachedV to,` differentpoints on saidV plate,

so as to hold said plate in an extended posi'- tion orrallow it. to befolded alongside the hull of said ship. Y v

' 5. In a submarine fender, the combination with a plurality'of armspivotally attached to the hull of a ship,and extending 'outwardtherefrom',a rigid plate4 secured at the ends-V of said arms, a

plurality of openings through said plate,

to be intimately in contact, beveled openings pliable bushings securedin said Y openings, said bushings being so arranged as formed in 'saidbushings, theouter edges of said openings presenting sharp lines'attheir junction at both sides, top and bottom thereof, pivoted armsconnecting between the hull of said ship, and the ends of ysaidplate,and means for permit said plate toY be disposed closely adjacentto the hull ofthe ship, lorfezlitended therefrom.

Y Copies of this patent may belobtainedrfor've ,cents each,byraidressing th Commissioner ofv Patents,`

' Washington, D. C.

ioo

pivoting said arms Vto said plate at different positions therealong, soVas Vtol AnoLiri-ioFitMAN. f

